Photo Credit: Zack Hill
Alex Bump, yes Alex Bump. Flyers fans get used to hearing his name, as this was a great pick in the fifth round of the Draft in 2022. After being awarded the player of the year by the Minnesota Associated Press in 2022, Bump made quite the impression in the USHL with the Omaha Lancers with netting 11 goals and registering six assists in 27 games played in 2021-22.
“He came on the scene this year. He’s one, if not probably the top player in Minnesota high school this year. He started in the USHL and came back. He had a big, big year in high school and finished strong when he went back to the USHL. We’re all excited about him. Obviously, he’s going back to play another year of junior and then off to Vermont. I think he’ll have a big role right away.” – Assistant General Manager, Brent Flahr said of Bump after the draft
Now there has been a change in his plans. He will no longer attend the University of Vermont, as he will now enter the transfer portal. He has been granted this late change given that Head Coach Todd Woodcroft was dismissed as the coach of Vermont Hockey earlier this Summer. This is the only reason he was able to enter the portal this late.
Bump made one heck of an impression playing in much tougher competition in the USHL. He stands at 6’0 and weighs 194 pounds, and Bump plays with a physical edge to his game. Bump continued his solid play for the Lancers this past Fall while amassing nine goals and 17 assists in 32 games played. He was traded to the Tri-City Storm at the USA Hockey Trade and Drop Deadline on February 7, 2023.
It took a few games for him to get his bearings following being traded to the Tri-City Storm, this sort of came as a surprise to Bump with how successful he was for the Lancers, as he averaged nearly a point per game. However, he has found his groove while amassing five goals and eight assists for a total of 13 points in 16 games played since being traded to the Storm.
Bump models his game after Filip Forsberg, “Filip Forsberg. His puck skills are incredible. He’s got the puck on a string. I try to model that after him.”
If Bump turns into Forsberg, then he can become the steal of the draft. He’s a solid skater for his size, as he has quick feet and his agility thanks off the charts. Bump is exceptional along the boards, and he is great at digging pucks out of the corner. That is really the strength of his game.
“My shot. My hands. My puck skills,” Bump said about his overall strengths to his game. “It’s a great organization and I’m just ready to get going with them,” Bump said of the Flyers.
The possibilities are endless for bump to join another hockey team. He could go to the University of Minnesota, maybe Penn State, possibly back to the USHL. One thing is for certain he will have no trouble finding another hockey team this Fall.
